What events lead to John Brown's raid?

Abolitionist John Brown leads a small group on a raid against an arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to incite an insurrection and destroy the ... read more

Urged to be cautious, John Brown said he was tired of hearing that word and when John Jr. intervened to counsel care old John ignored him: it was the parting of the ways. As the bulk of the men left camp with John Jr. his father put together a handful of men to carry out his plans. read more

John Brown had originally asked Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, both of whom he had met in his transformative years as an abolitionist in Springfield, Massachusetts, to join him in his raid, but Tubman was prevented by illness and Douglass declined, as he believed Brown's plan would fail. read more

Abolitionist John Brown leads a small group on a raid against an arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to incite an insurrection and destroy the institution of slavery. read more

Furman University's Secession Era Editorials Project has created a webpage devoted to two dozen reports and editorials from newspapers on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. read more